


Light as Air

by sincerely_your_fangirl



Series: all roads leads to you [1]
Category: Disney's Paperman (Video Short), Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Paperman (2012) Fusion, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Rin is adorkable, so is Nitori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-09 01:14:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4328190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincerely_your_fangirl/pseuds/sincerely_your_fangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Just as Rin leaned down to take a sip of his coffee, another train arrived. Dust flew at his face and he coughed, spitting the grit out.</p>
  <p>He hadn’t realized his slackening grip, one sheet from his stack of forms managing to slip out with the breeze until-</p>
  <p>
    <em>“Ah!”</em>
  </p>
  <p>Rin turned. The person beside him had a face full of taxes.</p>
</blockquote><p>***</p><p>(Disney "Paperman" AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light as Air

**Author's Note:**

> So a couple months ago, I ended up randomly re-watching ["Paperman"](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xzt3vb_paperman_shortfilms) and thought  _hey, wouldn't this make the cutest Rintori AU...?_
> 
> And this fic was born!! 
> 
> Enjoy!!
> 
> (I also recommend listening to the [score](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=use50QA6UMs) 'cause it's lovely and wonderfully feels inducing~)

**0.**

Mornings at the train station were loud, chaotic, and the draft that blew with the arrival of the trains nearly threatened to blow Rin’s paperwork away.

The redhead grumbled as another gust of wind hit him from the side. He balanced his stack of forms in one arm, keeping them close to his chest, while a steaming cup of coffee was clutched in the other.

Just as Rin leaned down to take a sip, another train arrived. Dust flew at his face and he coughed, spitting the grit out.

He hadn’t realized his slackening grip, one sheet managing to slip out with the breeze until-

_“Ah!”_

Rin turned. The person beside him had a face full of taxes.

Dropping his coffee, Rin quickly ran toward them, grasping the stray form and ripping it free, and-

-Oh, _wow…_

Blue eyes. Bluer than the sky on a fair day. They blinked, confused, before looking up to meet his.

A boy- _no_ ,  young man. No older than he was. Short hair the color of sterling. Realizing who helped him out, he smiled brightly at Rin and said his thanks.

Rin didn’t reply. He couldn’t.

_Words, Rin. Remember your words?_

The other man didn’t notice. He was too busy giggling at Rin’s awed expression, lone sheet still suspended in one hand.

_Introduce yourself! Ask for his name!_

Right before Rin regained control of his verbal abilities, the other man’s eyes lit up with an idea, hands digging into the contents of his messenger bag. He pulled out a pen.

Rin watched, fascinated as the other man scribbled on the sheet.

A smiley face.

Signed, _Nitori Aiichirou._

Rin couldn’t believe his luck. He grinned, turning back to the other man-

But he was gone.

_What?!_

Rin looked frantically past faces in the busy crowd around him, then the departing train a few feet away-

From a nearby window, Nitori smiled at him, apology written on his face and hand waving a sad goodbye.

Rin felt oddly empty. He remained where he was, watching the other man until the distance erased him from view.

 

**1.**

_Thud!_

Rin stared, swallowing his disgust as his boss slapped a stack of paperwork onto his desk.

The other man glared down at him, beady eyes cold and apathetic, before turning wordlessly and heading back into his office.

Sliding down further into his seat, Rin sighed.

It was nice day out. Looking past his window, Rin contemplated whether fifteen floors would be enough to-

His eyes widened.

Across from him, in another building, Nitori was entering an office.

Before he could think, Rin flew towards the window, flinging it open. He waved his arms wildly, hoping to get the other man’s attention. He wanted to yell, call Nitori’s name.

Rin glanced over his shoulder. His co-workers were watching him, tired faces a mixture of curiosity and exasperation.

Turning back, Rin watched as Nitori sat down. He was talking amicably to someone across from him.

_Think Rin, think!_

Rushing back to his desk he grabbed a single sheet of paper from his stack and began folding. He made a paper plane.

It was childish, really. Juvenile.

But maybe it could work.

Back at the window, Rin took a breath, reeled his arm back, and let his creation fly…

…It flew, alright.

Straight down onto the street.

Rin cursed and tried again.

 

**27.**

Rin hurried back to the open window, paper plane in hand, and threw it hard.

With bated breath, the redhead watched as his paper-thin contraption glided closer toward its intended target.

However mere feet away from the room where Nitori sat, the plane nosedived, falling straight through another window and into a random man’s desk. 

The man jumped in surprise. Picking the plane up, he inspected it curiously, a grin quickly forming on his face. Looking up to where Rin stood dejectedly by his window, he waved.

Rin facepalmed.

 

**51.**

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!”

Rin watched as the paper plane flew straight and true towards the other building, towards Nitori, toward-

A flock of birds.

_“FUUUUUUUUU-“_

**103.**

Rin was running out of options.

(And paper.)

His boss had been glaring daggers at him for a good while now, and he was down to his last sheet.

Rin looked out to where Nitori was. The other man was rising from his seat and shaking hands with who he’d guess was his new employer.

Rin felt a little crazy. _Why the hell was he doing this?_

Thumbing over the dorky smiley face, Rin smirked.

Now or never.  

***

Rin took his time making the final plane. He sat at his desk, meticulously creasing each fold.

Never in his life had he wanted something to work as badly as this _stupid piece of number-laden origami-_

He chanced a look outside. Nitori was almost out the door.

Rin rose and hurried to the window, paper plane perched between two fingers. Taking a final deep inhale, he allowed himself to focus—to take note of the calm, cool breeze outside.

He let the plane go and watched.

It soared high, riding the air currents until it blocked the sun for the briefest second. Suddenly, the plane swooped down; down into the busy traffic, zipping past cars and trucks before it rose once more and disappeared behind a building’s alleyway.

The very building Nitori was currently exiting from.

Rin waited for the plane to resurface. It never did.

_Thud!_

Rin jumped. Turning back he saw his boss standing at his desk, another neat pile of forms dropped haphazardly onto the wood. Rin tensed.

His boss did not look happy. His gaze was ominous, daring him to do something stupid instead of marching back to his desk and getting back to work.

His nerves were already frayed from his previous failures, emotions scattered, and that look sparked something within him. It was a righteous indignation- a rage that he had stomped down, that he hadn’t felt since he’d chosen to trap himself in this nine-to-five _hell hole._

And right below him, on the city’s crowded streets, was an opportunity he’d be stupid not to take.

_“Fuck this.”_

Striding toward his desk, Rin grabbed his coat, flipped his boss the bird, and left the office for good.

***

_Honk, honk, honk!_

Rin cursed as he flew past heavy traffic, evading delivery trucks and angry taxi drivers as he ran across the street.

Once safely on the sidewalk, Rin allowed himself to breathe. He looked around, craning his neck as he desperately searched for a young man with silver hair.

But the crowd was too thick. There were too many people; too many colours and scents. No one offered him that same dazzling smile. Rin’s heart dropped.

He had lost sight of Nitori.

 

**1.**

Today had been a good day.

Nitori couldn’t believe his luck, really. His earlier interview went almost _scarily well_ , and once all the papers were signed, Nitori could soon find himself employed at the well-known design firm.

…And then there was that mystery-man at the train station.

Nitori giggled at the memory, heat rising to his cheeks.

Nitori had seen him once or twice before and thought the man was _gorgeous._ He had felt compelled to introduce himself and chat…but he chickened out every time, intimidation and his own shyness stopping him.

_He probably thought I was insane, scribbling all over his paperwork._

Suddenly, Nitori felt a sharp breeze rush past his nape. He cried out, twisting around to see who had caused it.

There was no one close to him. Nitori looked to his left, his right, his back and front. He was confused.

_What was that?_

He looked up.

Nitori gasped in surprise.

Up above, a single paper plane flew in relaxed circles around him. Even from that height, Nitori knew the smiley face that greeted him from its position on one of the wings. He grinned, delighted laughter escaping him.

All of a sudden, the plane swooped down to encompass him. It circled him lazily, and before Nitori could take hold of it, a gust of wind shot the paper contraption forward.

Excited grin never faltering, Nitori quickly followed. 

*** 

Half an hour passed, and Nitori found himself in the cab of a train.

The paper plane lay resting on his lap, no breeze to bring it back to life. It had guided Nitori all the way back to the train station and he couldn’t understand why.

Nitori felt the train slow before stopping completely. He rose from his seat and stepped out, paper plane cradled in one hand.

It didn’t take long before the plane left his hold and was riding the wind once more.

Nitori watched it as it flew around the station, low and fast, gliding past weary commuters when-

_“Ow!”_

Nitori’s eyes widened.

Rin stood across from him on another platform. He looked annoyed, forehead red as he rubbed it soothingly. The plane had dropped at his feet and he bent over to pick it up-

He froze. Their eyes met.

Nitori’s heart raced in his chest. He felt like bolting for the nearest exit but instead lifted an arm and waved shyly.

Rin grinned. Taking the paper plane, the man hurried over to his side.

 

**x.**

Rin and Nitori left the café hand-in-hand, Rin’s paper plane tucked safely in his coat pocket. Their day had certainly been eventful.

Nitori laughed openly as he recounted his own. Rin was walking leisurely beside him, gaze fond as he listened to the younger man’s tale.

Neither mentioned how they felt at that moment though.

They still needed to ponder over the feeling, so new and unfamiliar. It had yet to have a name, but it was easy enough to describe:

 _Achingly sweet. Warm like the first spring breeze. Bright and full and_ right _-_

Nitori didn’t take long to finish his story. Their steps slowed.

The younger man eyed the crumpled plane hidden inside Rin’s coat. He smiled.

Nitori gave Rin’s hand a squeeze.

_They felt light as air._

 

**Author's Note:**

> For all my other readers who are awaiting the next chapter of [Transcendence](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3628860/chapters/8013441), it should be up soon!!  
> Thanks for reading!!
> 
>  
> 
> My [tumblr!](http://sincerely-your-fangirl.tumblr.com/)


End file.
